Chapter Two

"You can open your eyes now, Rhu, we stopped."

Rhuben shifted in her seat, pulling her cap low over her forehead. Blinked her eyes open to take in her surroundings. The people in the pods in front of her itching to get their things together. Wanting to be the first off the plane. Like the few extra seconds of waiting was going to kill them. She blinked, taking a deep breath, feeling the plane gently rumble beneath her, much slower than they had been before.

A good sign. She addressed Ronan's question, "How d'you know I wasn't sleeping?"

"Because you make this strange honking sound when you're asleep." Ronan smiled and flicked up the brim of her hat. He smiled into her scowling response. "I said honk, not snore. They're different things." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Now Pat, Pat snores. You don't snore. Don't worry." Then he flicked her brim back down, sliding it all the way to her nose.

Rhuben laughed and pushed it back up. She lifted her arms, stretching all her muscles from her head to her toes, then lowered her hand to the armrest. She pressed her finger into the button on the rest directly to her right. She waited, the lower-half of her seat, the foot rest, slowly pulled back into a sitting position, the top half of her seat sliding into place as well. Despite how much she disliked flying, sitting in first class—and the extra leg room—was always worth it.

There was always getting to see her friends again, of course, but sitting in one spot for over twelve hours was enough to make anyone go crazy. Even with the mandated 'break times' where Ronan insisted they get up to walk up and back the plane, making sure they drank enough water. And made sure they ignored the other people in first class who had egos big enough to take down the whole plane—first demanding certain foods off the menu that were given to them, then there were the ones who continuously demanded drink after drink despite reaching their limit ages before.

Thank God for the invention of noise cancelling headphones. Rhuben pulled hers down around her neck and gathered her things together, noticing the plane, indeed, was taxing its way up the runway towards the tunnel that'd let them into the airport. Even from where she sat, she could see the large crowd that gathered by the window.

"Bloody hell, how do these people find out?" Riley asked, leaning over from Ronan's other side to peer out the window. She pushed her glasses up her nose and rubbed her eyes, having had been reading for the last five hours. "It's like they fucking teleport everywhere we're going to be, yeah?"

"Classic fan culture," Ronan commented. "They want to have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite people at every chance they get. The less people that are around, the easier it is for them to make an impression on said people." He shrugged modestly. "Also, you have to take into consideration that there are only a few airports that have flights coming in from Australia so it's not hard to narrow down."

"Oh yeah?" Patrick's head popped up over the back of Ronan's seat with Noah's and Sydney's following suit. Rhuben craned her neck to look at her brothers closely. Patrick smiled smugly. He folded his arms to rest atop the seat. "When was the last time any fans came out to see you?"

Ronan chuckled, shaking his head. Nevertheless, Rhuben was interested in the answer. She could admit there were many times she forgot that Ronan was a celebrity in his own right. His face wasn't put in the limelight the same way hers and her siblings were; but he still had a big name within the music industry. It hadn't been too long since his claim to fame, being the youngest music producer to win one of the most prestigious awards one could win. Had a hand in the production and writing of some of the biggest songs that spread across the world.

"I don't have fans," he replied. "I have co-workers."

Which was certainly true. There weren't many people that Ronan hadn't collaborated with who hadn't been a fan of his in some way, shape, or form. And, as he consistently put it, he preferred to work behind the scenes. Didn't find much stock in having to make appearances at parties or networking events—though that was more in the fact that he didn't enjoy wearing suits when he didn't feel he had to—and wasn't one that cared much for the lifestyle anyway. Though he'd always be the first to openly state that if it weren't for his job and his fame he probably wouldn't' have ended up with the Rhuben and her brothers and sister and, "for that, I'll always be grateful."

"So you don't miss people asking for your autograph?" Sydney asked. He pushed his way between his brothers, making sure he was front and center, as he always did when around his siblings. Being the youngest he always made sure he wasn't left out, despite how much care his siblings made sure he didn't.

Or, Rhuben thought, we spoiled him a bit too much. Which was very possibly the truth as well. It was hard not to spoil him when he was the one they protected the most from Robert's wrath. The age difference between them all didn't help matters much either.

"I don't miss that," Ronan said honestly. He stood up and made his way into the aisle, Rhuben pulling her feet back so he wouldn't trip. "And I also don't miss being followed every time I went to the airport." He leaned over and looked out the window. "I wouldn't mind having the time to work on my own stuff, though."

Rhuben frowned. Instinctively, she looked to Riley, who had an identical expression on her face as well. Her eyes twitched and even through that small movement, Rhuben knew exactly what her twin was thinking. Are we holding him back? He'd focused his life on them almost since they met years ago, had a lot to do to work on their music, sometimes took on a few more clients if he weren't passing them off to his co-workers.

"Hm." Noah didn't say anymore, only made the sound of displeasure.

Ronan rolled his eyes and turned back to his kids. He leaned over them, making sure to look each of them in the eye. "Before you have some sort of a crisis over whether or not I'm squandering away my youth,"-he pointed a finger at Patrick, who'd opened his mouth for a joke about Ronan's age, prompting Patrick to slide down in his seat until only his eyes could be seen—"I'm perfectly happy with the clients I have and the way my career is going. You don't have anything to worry about."

"If you say so, mate," Riley said. The expression on her face showed she believed what he said. Her tone of voice said otherwise. Nevertheless, she stood up and started to gather her things, prompting her siblings to do the same.

Once their area was clean, making sure to throw away their trash and other loose items as well, they waved to the flight attendants and debarked the plane. Walking along the tunnel up to the airport, the Jacksons and Ronan stretched, then shuffled to the side so they didn't block the way for other passengers.

Every few people they'd receive the odd look, noticing them stop to pull out hats and surgical gloves. Yet they were too focused to stop. Riley craned her head when she heard the sounds of loud chattering increase in volume the more people that came out, then lowered at pockets between the large groups.

"How many you reckon are out there?" She asked, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"About fifty max," Ronan said. He lowered his nose over his phone. "Annaleigh says they've been camping out for most of the day. She's got a shuttle to pick up our bags, we just need to get to our car."

"I hope the guys here at least know to be careful with our instruments," Sydney commented, flipping a pair of lens-less glasses over his eyes. "I don't want to have to buy another violin…again. Do you know how much they cost?"

"The same as the rest of our instruments, I reckon," Noah remarked. "Considering the insurance we have on them." He shrugged into his backpack. "I'm more concerned of them being stolen, honestly. A good guitar like that…it'll go for a lot on eBay. Especially if fans get to them first."

"Okay!" Ronan put his phone away. "Our car will be around in ten minutes, that's plenty of time to get all the way to the pick-up area." He cast a cursory glance over his children and lifted an eyebrow. "That is, if I don't get stopped for suspicious trafficking."

"No worries." Riley grinned. A surgical mask hanging around her neck bobbed with each word she spoke. "We'll be sure we've never seen you before in our lives. And that you treat us like slaves." She gave a thumbs up for added effect. "I'm sure once they hear how little sleep we get they'll take us away in no time."

"You go ahead and do that and tell me how your next family works out," Ronan replied, not taking the bait for her snark. He'd certainly grown too used to it having had a been around his adopted children for years, long before adopting them. "Let's go." He nodded towards the sliver of the airport they could see from their place in the tunnel. "There doesn't seem to be too many people waiting. We'll need to go through customs."

"They're going to be disappointed they missed us," Patrick pointed out, though dutifully patted his pockets for his passport. "Are we going to do anything to make it up to them?"

"The same thing we always do." Rhuben pulled her mask over her face. She fastened it behind her ears. It pinched a little, pressing against the pulse point just above the bone. It could be annoying at times, she saw the looks of resignation pass over her brother's faces as they also pulled caps low over their foreheads, but useful if they wanted to pass by large crowds.

Who believed people that were in the public eye would be those five, inconspicuous looking Asian tourists walking through the airport, chattering away in high-pitched voices in a language most couldn't understand? It was a bit of a mean trick, passing by all their fans that waited for them with posters and gifts. She smiled behind her mask, noticing a few new puns of their songs they hadn't seen before. They always were creative. She wanted to stop, even muttering to Noah in Japanese how it would've been nice.

"Yeah," Noah agreed, also in Japanese, "But it's late. And we just finished a long stretch of traveling." He didn't add the other part, that it was some of the worst turbulence they'd experienced while flying in a long time.

It had been a rough patch when they approached and flew over Hawaii. A fall storm that wasn't uncommon for the tourist destination. One that big was a surprise. Leaning over to look out Riley's window, Rhuben could see lightning crackle in the clouds around the plane, shooting toward the ground. A flash of heat instantly gone as quickly as the eye could see. The same could be said for anything in their industry. A flash in the pan whose fans were the ones who decided whether or not they were a success.

And, somehow, the thought was lost on her siblings as they all slept soundly despite the plane shaking back and forth as they arrived in LAX. Thankfully, the flight into New York was a lot smoother. Enough so that her hands didn't cramp from how violently she grasped the armrests around her. It wasn't the flying that bothered her, honestly, it was the lack of control she had while flying. Maybe even a bit of claustrophobia. Too many places for something bad to happen with no way to escape.

She'd noticed it with Riley as well, despite her enjoyment of travel. Every time she stepped onto a plane her eyes would immediately dart to where they were sitting and then to an exit, formulating an immediately plan to get as far away from danger if the time came. Old habits die hard, Rhuben thought. You could escape the danger, though the danger never really escaped you. Not when it's signs were all in your head.

Rhuben's stomach growled, prompting her to ding into her backpack for a pack of candy she'd left in the front pocket. Not that food from first class was bad by any means, but sometimes she wanted nothing more than the junk food they couldn't think to offer. She was digging in her bag when she noticed Sydney walking with his head bent, face close to the screen of his phone.

"What are you so worried about, Little Man?" She asked.

"I'm texting Anna," he replied.

At the mention of his youngest brother's girlfriend, Rhuben rolled her eyes. Not that she didn't like Anna, she was family to them, but sometimes she wondered if she and Sydney were a little too intense at their age. Or else, a little cheesier than she expected her baby brother to be in any of his relationships. Not only did she continuously check his flight paths whenever he traveled away from her, but he spared no expense to pay for in-flight wi-fi to keep in constant contact with her. Rhuben would've been jealous if it weren't for the fact that Sydney rubbed it in his siblings' faces every chance he got.

Lovingly, of course. He wanted nothing more for them to be happy with someone as he was but, "you have to stop being such boofheads sometimes." Sometimes the little bugger made her want to smack him.

"What could you have possibly not told her on the entire trip back here?" Rhuben asked, turning her violet-blue eyes to the ceiling in disbelief. She had a lot of music samples and photography work stored on her phone but even she wasn't on it as much.

"That my sister needs to get a life," Sydney dead-panned. "Because she clearly doesn't have anything else going on in it." Rhuben smirked, of which Sydney matched when he finally lifted his chin and gaze. "Like you weren't chatting to Dan the whole time you were on your computer."

He gave her a knowing look before she got the chance to deny it. Not that she'd ever deny talking to Danny Jones. He was a great friend and always seemed to be awake at the odd hours of the night, working on some sort of song or demo for some band. It was a wonder he was able to function at all during the day—and which she secretly wondered added to his less-than-intelligent reputation. She just hated the way Sydney looked at her when he said it, because he knew very well there was nothing going on between them otherwise. Danny was someone who knew how to take her mind off of flying when she was flying and after multiple tours together under their belts, it was nothing short of habit that she messaged him to see if he was awake.

As usual, he was, nattering away about a song he was working on for One Direction. She didn't particularly like the band or enjoy their music, but if there was anything she knew for sure, music was Danny's passion and it'd translate well for anyone who was lucky enough to benefit from his magical touch.

She talked to fans as well. Every time they went on a long flight they carved out individual time to jump on their social media accounts to post pictures and answer fan questions. That was always her favorite part, to see what sort of new things they'd be asked rather than the age-old ones from when they were just starting out.

What's your favorite genre of music?

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Do you wear anything other than purple?

What's your most embarrassing moment onstage?

To perform; rock, to listen to; hip-hop. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. If it's black, white, or gray, then yes, otherwise no. When she stood to do a crash ending of a song and missed her stool entirely on the way back down, crashing to the floor. How many times had it been repeated through the news outlets after that? Enough so that when she and Riley posed for the cover of Girlfriend magazine, it was another big part of her section of the interview, to rival Riley's fall off the front of the stage straight to the ground—the crowd had been too surprised to catch her.

"That's different," Rhuben insisted. "Danny and I are just friends. I reckon you and Anna have been married since you two were born."

Sydney shrugged. "Maybe so. But that's my point, too, she's still my friend. And, I don't know if you've noticed, I don't have a lot of them." Rhuben's frown deepened. She heard the wistful note he tried to hide. Touring was hard. Being away from home was hard. Having to be in the public eye was hard. You didn't get the luxury of an 'off day' you had to be 'on' at all times. Even when the day was done and it was time to go back to 'normal' it took a long time to jump out of 'the zone'.

Having to do it all at one of the most emotionally charged ages wasn't easy. She and Riley managed to live through it, Patrick and Noah managed to live through it. But they'd always had their friends around to help, Sydney's only friend—and girlfriend, Anna—had her own modeling career to think about when not working for their band, splitting them apart even further. In their line of work, friends were a luxury to come by. Something to hold onto and admire every chance they got.

She understood if he was lonely. It was the part of their lives no one seemed to understand. They had everything they could want; how could they be lonely? How lonely can you be when you have so many fans clamoring to be your friends. Who'd do anything for a moment of your attention? Even a simple five-word tweet could make their life, Rhuben thought. When some time to just sit and be with my family, hang out with my friends, is hard to come by.

"You still have me," Rhuben said. She put her arm around Sydney's shoulders, adjusting her target as she did so. He'd grown a bit more over the last few months, now an even five inches taller than her and Riley. Little brother indeed. "And the others, you know that, yeah?"

"Yeah," Sydney readily agreed. He bobbed his head back and forth. Made a humming sound as if he were thinking. "But I don't pash with you guys."

Rhuben laughed. "Thank God," she said. "We've already got enough bloody weird rumors out there, I don't want that added to it."

She turned back to her backpack, digging her hand through the front pocket. Shen frowned and stopped walking, prompting the others to look at her. She zipped and unzipped multiple pockets, continuing to dig her hand inside.

"What's the matter, sis?" Riley asked. "D'you lose your passport? You can just use mine." She folded her arms and tilted her head. Skillfully ignored the disapproving look Ronan shot her way. "I doubt these blokes would even notice."

"Doubt they'd notice you committing a federal crime?" Sydney shot back.

Rhuben waved her hand. "Ah, just add it to our list of offenses," she joked. Then she shook her head. "No, I…" she couldn't quite explain it. She knew something was missing but wasn't quite sure what it was.

It wasn't important, anyway. They were only a twenty-minute ride away from being with their friends again and that excitement trumped everything else. If it was like any other time they caught up, they'd be up all night talking about everything they didn't say through video chats, phone calls, e-mails, and social media posts.

The internet was an amazing thing, but nothing beat being with friends in person. Rhuben sighed, bringing her hands up to run through her hair. She glanced at Riley, Patrick, and Noah, then glanced at Sydney, who was immediately back into his phone. The only one of the five of them—six if Ronan was included—who was happy with someone.

Not to say the others were unhappy, not to say they were lonely. But there was only so much that friends could do for you emotionally than someone you shared your life with could. Maybe, she realized, it was time for them with their upcoming time off, to focus more on their own happiness and not what they were doing for their fans.

At least, not as obsessively as they did before.

Rhuben whipped out her phone and quickly composed a status update. I Love New York-New York, New York. The likes and comments came in fast, especially from the McFly boys, exclamation points and smiley faces abound.

After all, they'd do anything for their fans.

So, you're in New York now.

I waited at the airport for you. Waited along with the rest of your fans. They're fans, I'm ready to be your friend. I have to point out the difference between the two for you to understand how serious I am about all this. I could be a really good friend to you.

But right now, I'm a fan. I can swallow my pride and say that. I waited at the airport. You see, there are a lot of us that know where you're going to be when you travel; the airports you'll use, your flight times, and when you'll arrive for your flights because we want you to feel loved at every turn. We want you to understand that we wish you nothing but a good flight and that you arrive safely. On both ends. It doesn't matter where we're from; Europe, Asia, Brazil, Mexico, us fans want nothing more than for you to be safe and to have a good time.

But you're going to New York. You're in New York, rather. We all know what that means. That you're going to be hanging out with those McFly guys. You know a lot of us are jealous. Not because you're hanging out with McFly, but because they get to hang out with you. All of you. All the time. All day every day. We look at the pictures you post and wonder what it'd be like to be that close to you.

I get it, you need to keep a healthy distance between yourself and fans, because you don't know what's going to happen. Some fans may not be fans at all. Some fans may want to hurt you. But I'd never want to do that. Never want to have the opportunity come up.

And when we get a chance to meet, you'll understand why.

A/N: I can't claim to come up with the idea of the Jacksons's disguises for the airport, our friend Jacqui came up with it in something she wrote for us before and it was great. And, again, this story focuses on Riley and Rhuben, though the other characters will be important as well, it just makes pacing/plotting easier in terms of not working with so many characters at once.

But there's plenty of chaos with the bands coming up starting with the next chapter, just needed to set a few things up first. What Happened To Your Band will be updated soon.

Cheers,

-Riles